Shantiniketan

A few weeks ago I finally escaped from Kolkata to see some of the countryside. We went to Shantiniketan, which is best known for its university that was founded by famous Bengali poet and author of the Indian national anthem, Rabindranath Tagore.

After a 3.5 hour drive, we arrived and wandered through part of the university, where we found the building entirely made of stained glass above. It's supposed to be a gathering place for those of all religious and backgrounds. Even though it was deserted due to the university break (we went during the winter season), the colors and surrounding flowers were gorgeous.

There were still people walking around and shopping at the tourist stalls despite the school break. Many student groups and film makers were seeing the sites and snapping photos, taking in the museum and the peace that pervades the area around the university. There were no car horns, and you could hear the birds chirping in the trees.

Our last stop was in an NGO run village that sold goods made by local women's groups and meant to support them with living wages. We walked around the to back of the village where there were picnicking grounds. The final photo above was one of the scenes we saw.

After getting to see a little of the village, we had to head back to Kolkata, but I hope to make it out of the city again soon.